I finished up the transmission restoration and updated Earl's World (http://www.clubfte.com/users/earl/index.html) with the info for anyone who's interested.

 

Pretty neat George, I can't believe how nice the e-brake outer band turned out. That thing was scrap just a couple weeks ago. Looks store bought. I don't think I have ever had the priviledge of installing a drivetrain with the entire body off the frame. Really looks like the way to fly. Great lighting, no wrench clearance problems. You could really make some time that way, but I realize you aren't due to the high standards.

'fenders

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 29-Dec-02 AT 01:16 PM (EST)]It's not my high standards that slow me down, Dewayne, it's my big fat **** and lazy bones.

And yes, no body on the frame makes it a whole lot easier. I can even sit on a small stool inside the frame rails to work in comfort. I will say that I did actually plan that part although I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to figure out the easiest sequence to do things.

 

Cool. I love your Website, George. Great pics, too.

It appears that you have not painted the master cylinder yet. Or are they rusty original ???

I have a chromed original master cylinder in a box and I am sure I will never used it. But guess you are not a potential buyer as chrome is not original, right ?

... as for the sand blasting I sure would love to have a cabinet. Right now I am using the world largest cabinet: the world. I am blasting inthe garden and move on when sand piles up under the chair I am using as a table. My wife hates it.

Keep going, George.

 

>It appears that you have not painted the master cylinder
>yet. Or are they rusty original ???
>
>I have a chromed original master cylinder in a box and I am
>sure I will never used it. But guess you are not a potential
>buyer as chrome is not original, right ?

Yeah, I've got to do something with that master cylinder but I haven't been able to find any info on what would be acceptable in a restoration. I was told ( ) by the vendor that they had treated the casting to prevent rust. I gotta be the biggest moron in the world for believing that! I'm guessing I'll take it out next summer and just paint it black like the frame.


>... as for the sand blasting I sure would love to have a
>cabinet. Right now I am using the world largest cabinet: the
>world. I am blasting inthe garden and move on when sand
>piles up under the chair I am using as a table. My wife
>hates it.

Check the tech articles. Ken was kind enough to post my article on a home-built cabinet for less than $500. Mine has saved my marriage a few times already.

Come to think of it, I haven't yet received my FTE T-shirt for that article. Hey Ken, I know you don't have anything else to do, so could you please send ...

 

George, Whats next? I'm guessing the engine but I very well could be wrong. Great website too. I love how every part you touch it comes out looking brand new, wish mine whole truck looked like that. Keep the good work up!- 4speed

 

"I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to figure out the easiest sequence to do things."

George

So you are saying that Kai and I are not rocket scientists? Is that your point?

This is one of those stocker advantages. If we tried to put the entire drivetrain in first, then the body, we would discover that a 289 valve cover was trying to occupy the same real estate as the firewall and all mounts must then be moved 1 inch forward.

'fenders

 

excellent site! erl sure is handsome! keep us posted i found it to be very informative.

 

 

WOW!!! What a pictorial! Incredible job of documenting, etc. Wonderful resto job also. Makes mine look like.... well, nevermind.

Daryl

 

"we would discover that a 289 valve cover was trying to occupy the same real estate as the firewall and all mounts must then be moved 1 inch forward."......


been there.....done that.....

you stockers have it so easy...I even had to build a custom stool... and you just used the original probably... Dewayne, he doesn't understand suffering do he ???

John ( well, we'll just move that again )...

 

>"we would discover that a 289 valve cover was trying to
>occupy the same real estate as the firewall and all mounts
>must then be moved 1 inch forward."......
>
>been there.....done that.....
>
>you stockers have it so easy...I even had to build a custom
>stool... and you just used the original probably...
>Dewayne, he doesn't understand suffering do he ???
>
>John ( well, we'll just move that again )...

I'd agree that we stockers have it easy in most cases. However, it's not always a matter of just cleaning up whatever is there and putting it back on. Finding an illustration or another "known-to-be-original" truck as a guide isn't always that easy and the previous owner(s) (like some of you rodders ) have often added various washers, clips, holes, and other paraphanalia to whatever you're working on. On top of that, they've also modified some of the parts - like bending the shift linkage rods. How do you figure out what their original shape was? Turns out mine was assembled with one of the trunion pins going through the lever the wrong way! Someone, over the years, had bent the link arm to make it "work" that way. Had a heck of a time figuring out what the original shape was and getting it back to that condition. SO PITY US STOCKERS, John - WE DO KNOW PAIN! Do you feel our pain now?

 

Hey George, I think that from the factory the master cylinder was left with a bare finish, so you are actually more correct than you realize! We just put the motor together for my buddy's Mustang and used cast iron-colored engine paint from A-Zone on a few parts and were extremely impressed at how nice the finsh looked. It truly looks like cast iron! You might give it a shot for the "fresh iron forever" look.

 

<<SO PITY US STOCKERS, John - WE DO KNOW PAIN! Do you feel our pain now? >>

I'll field this one for you John.

George Uh, no we don't!

'fenders

PS I can only think of one scenario off the top of my head when I feel any empathy. That would be when you are forced to buy a repro part, and then find out it is crap like an aftermarket fitzitallbutnotreallyadapter that we have to completely re-engineer after dropping big bucks.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 30-Dec-02 AT 02:34&nbsp;PM (EST)]Fenders,

I'll cut him a little slack... measured in microns... I've said before and written that I don't have the patience, indurance, perserverance and spincter muscle control to build a true restoration... just as George stated there are not enough 'stock' examples or pictures to help you... that's why I street rodded my truck... (that and the fact that Ford didn't have a BBF engine in 1953)

so... I do feel his pain... 'bout like a gnat bite... !!

probably the only group more "retentive" than the stock builders is the judges

john